A veritable feast

Address: 316 N.E. Dallas St. Hours: Monday through Thursday, from 5 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 5 to 10 p.m. For more information: call 210-7498 or visit www.facebook.com/camasfeast316. Families are welcome at FEAST316. That is one of the main messages from the owners of the new restaurant, in downtown Camas. Tim and Melissa McCusker, the parents of three children, have made FEAST family-friendly by installing a divider, that separates the bar from the dining room. Happy hour food options are available Monday through Saturday, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the entire dining area, so that parents eating with their children can enjoy the selections. A children's menu is in the works. Tim described FEAST316 as a "rustic and funky place." "It's not a tablecloth restaurant," he said. The McCuskers also own Harvest, a restaurant that opened in 2012, next to the Camas Hotel, at 401 N.E. Fourth Ave. There are differences between the entrees offered at Harvest and Feast. "At Harvest, there is innovative, comfort food -- meatloaf, fried chicken, and fish and chips," Tim said. "At FEAST, there is steak, seafood and pasta." The meat suppliers include Harris Ranch, and Snake River and Carlton farms. Other options at FEAST include Caesar salad, french onion soup, chicken sizzle and truffle mac and cheese. Instead of bread, each meal is served with homemade potato chips with brown sugar sweet cajun spice. A "chef's table," available by reservation, features several courses of food selections that are on and off the menu. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available. Bill Kolacek, general manager of Harvest and FEAST316, said the response to the newer restaurant has been very strong. "A customer said the food tastes like a fine waltz," Kolacek said. "We love feedback." Blackberry lemon drop, Old Sun-Ryes and Papermaker Press are among the craft cocktail options. The decor includes a wine shelf, stained and burnt at Lutz Hardware, to create an antique look. It consists of wine boxes from the former Camas Liquor store. Various artifacts are on loan from the Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Camas. The decor includes five historic Liberty Theatre seats, from Aaron Lutz. There are also film reels from Rand Thornsley, managing director of the Liberty. Metal tulip boxes, from the 1950s, are used to display bottles of wine behind the bar. A bicycle, cut in half lengthwise, from Camas Bike & Sport, will soon be added to the interior. The bar features barn wood that is approximately 70 years old. The owner of the building, Jerry Nies, donated the bar top, a living edge one piece of dried freshly cut wood. The McCuskers are leasing the FEAST space from Nies. "We love Harvest and Camas," Melissa said. "Harvest is a small space. "We worked every shift for two years and were missing our kids," she added. The McCuskers are hoping income from both restaurants will enable them to spend more time with their three children. The employees at Harvest and FEAST316 are working at both eateries, depending on where they are needed. This has enabled the employees to work more hours, according to Tim. They have 14 employees, not including the owners. "Most of them walk to work," Tim said.

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